Reaching Higher Returns, Expands
June 19, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The annual Reaching Higher showcases of Michigan’s top high school basketball players will return for their 10th year June 23 at Milford High School in Highland Township, and for the first time volleyball players will take part in the Reaching Higher experience during a showcase July 18 also at Milford.
Nearly 200 athletes with aspirations to play basketball and nearly 80 with hopes of playing volleyball at the college level will train and scrimmage under the tutelage of high school coaches from across the state and in front of college coaches expected to represent a number of NCAA, NAIA and junior college programs.
For both sports, the Reaching Higher experience includes classroom sessions for student-athletes and their parents as well as on-court drills and scrimmaging. The events aim to give athletes a vision of what it takes to become a college player and also succeed in college life. Reaching Higher is a combined effort by the Michigan High School Athletic Association with the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan and Michigan Interscholastic Volleyball Coaches Association.
For both sports, participants were selected by a committee of coaches association members based on nominations by member basketball or volleyball coaches. A complete list of June 23 expected attendees can be found on the basketball Reaching Higher page of the MHSAA Website, while a complete list of expected attendees for volleyball will be posted closer to that event on the Reaching Higher page for that sport.
The boys basketball event begins at 11 a.m. on June 23, with scrimmages running from 1-3:30 p.m. The girls basketball event begins at 3 p.m., with scrimmages from 5-7:30 p.m. Speakers for the boys session include Reggie Butler, a standout at Southfield-Lathrup High School who went on to play at Xavier University and professionally overseas. Girls session speakers include Cassie Breen, who starred for Brownstown Woodhaven High and Central Michigan University and played professionally this past season in Spain.
Longtime coach Dave Ginsberg will speak with athletes; he coached at a number of Michigan high schools and also was an assistant men’s basketball coach at Central Michigan University for 16 years, and he currently serves as the secretary/treasurer of the National High School Basketball Coaches Association. Longtime high school and college coach Marc Comstock – currently the boys varsity coach at Grass Lake High School – and former Saginaw Valley State University and current Flint Powers Catholic athletic director Mike Watson will conduct sessions with parents during players’ drill and practice sessions.
The volleyball event begins at 9:30 a.m. on July 18. A schedule for the day including speakers will be added to the volleyball Reaching Higher page of the MHSAA Website closer to the event.
Below, State Champs Sports Network explains a little bit more about the history of the basketball Reaching Higher event.
Forest Park Returns to Championship Week Seeking to Continue 2-Month Winning Streak
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
November 18, 2025
L’ANSE — This has been quite a ride for the Crystal Falls Forest Park volleyball team.
The Trojans improved to 41-1 on Thursday, defeating Ishpeming 25-13, 25-18, 25-14 in a Division 4 Regional championship match.
“I didn’t imagine we would win 41 matches this season.” Forest Park coach Bobbie Jo Anderson said. “That’s beyond our expectations, although the girls worked hard.”
The Trojans will continue their postseason journey tonight when they meet Atlanta (36-1-2) in Quarterfinal match at 6 p.m. in Manistique.
The Regional championship was the third in four years for the Trojans, who fell to Hancock in straight sets in last year’s Regional Final at Baraga. Forest Park met Hancock in last week’s Regional Semifinal, this time winning 26-24, 25-23, 25-21.
“We didn’t like the outcome last year,” Trojans senior Ava Fischer said. “It’s absolutely a relief to win the Regional this year. We came into this season knowing we had a real good team. I’m so excited.”
Forest Park’s only loss took place Aug. 23 during a season-opening tournament in Mount Pleasant, where it dropped a 2-1 decision in the semifinals to Division 3 Saginaw Valley Lutheran, a team it had beaten in pool play earlier that day. Valley Lutheran also advanced to tonight’s Quarterfinals.
The Trojans had reached the Division 4 Semifinals twice in a row before last year’s earlier exit, and just missed reaching the 2023 championship match in falling to Leland in five sets at Battle Creek’s Kellogg Arena.
“After losing to Hancock last year, we knew we were going to come back stronger,” junior Tessa Bartoszek said. “We did morning workouts and open gyms during the summer. It’s awesome to be moving on.”
Bartoszek produced a key defensive play during the second set against Ishpeming, which featured Baylor recruit Mya Hemmer and finished this fall 23-6-2. The Hematites were trailing 14-11 when it appeared the ball was going to land on Forest Park’s side of the net. Bartoszek somehow prevented that from happening, dug up the ball and returned it to Ishpeming’s side, enabling the Trojans to go up 15-11 on a defensive error.
A seven-point service run by sophomore Harper Anderson also helped the Trojans get going in the opener.
“That was huge,” Coach Anderson said. “Volleyball is a game of momentum, and you want to keep that on your side.
“The first set definitely set the tone. The girls were able to relax a little more after winning that one.”
The Trojans have won their own invitational, ‘The Rock’ Invite at Gladstone, Escanaba Invitational and defeated Great Northern Conference champion Kingsford, Marquette and Calumet in a quadrangular at Kingsford during the regular season.
Forest Park also captured the Skyline Central Conference title prior to taking District and Regional championships.
Fischer is the team’s leading hitter with 467 kills this season, with five more Trojans totaling at least 100. Senior Elsie Williams and junior Vienna Price share setting duties, and Williams also is second on the team with 196 kills to go with her 502 assists. Fischer also leads the team with 351 digs, and Anderson has a team-high 89 aces.
Fischer and Williams are the team’s only seniors. Right behind Williams in kills is freshman Josie Anderson, one of three underclassmen in the primary playing group.
John Vrancic has covered high school sports in the Upper Peninsula since joining the Escanaba Daily Press staff in 1985. He is known most prominently across the peninsula for his extensive coverage of cross country and track & field that frequently appears in newspapers from the Wisconsin border to Lake Huron. He received the James Trethewey Award for Distinguished Service in 2015 from the Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association.
PHOTO The Crystal Falls Forest Park girls volleyball team takes a photo after winning its District championship against Wakefield-Marenisco on Nov. 6. (Photo courtesy of the Forest Park school district.)